Using ultrasound to treat alcohol use disorder

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This study examines the effects of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU) on brain activity in individuals with alcohol use disorder. It is a single-center, double-blind, controlled, randomized, complete block, 2-period crossover pilot trial. The research will assess how LIFU engages the ventral striatum by utilizing resting state and task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity changes in response to the treatment.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male or female ≥ 18 years of age.
2. Documentation of an AUD diagnosis per DSM-5 criteria as evidenced by problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least two of the DSM-5 criteria, occurring within a 12-month period.
3. Be willing to undergo a brain MRI and follow study protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnant or breastfeeding.
2. Presence of a condition or abnormality that would compromise the safety of the patient or the quality of the data.
3. Non-English speaking.
4. Other investigational AUD treatments.
5. Primary psychosis, Bipolar I, or severe personality disorder.
6. Active suicidality or history of suicide attempt in the past 5 years.
7. Cognitive impairment (MoCA \<24)
8. Significant medical or neurological disease, or life expectancy \<12 mos.
9. Significant brain abnormality on brain imaging.
10. Any MRI exclusion criteria.

Where it's running

• University of California, San Francisco
  San Francisco, California, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Khaled Moussawi, MD, PhD — University of California, San Francisco
• Study coordinator: Catherine Borror, BS, CCRP
• Email: TN2Lab@ucsf.edu
• Phone: 415-514-6551

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

• Emotional Reactivity in Severe Alcohol Use Disorder and Depression Using Eye-Tracking and Physiological Measures

  This study tests how people with severe alcohol use disorder, major depressive disorder, both conditions, or neither, recognize and react to emotions using eye-tracking and physiological data.

  Recruiting Université Catholique de Louvain · Brussels, Belgium · NCT07925281

• Thiamine to reduce brain injury in adults with alcohol use disorder

  This trial tests whether thiamine can help protect the brain in adults with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder who drink daily.

  Recruiting Phase 2 Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France · Paris, Île-de-France Region · NCT07844720

• Digital Recovery Support for Black adults with Alcohol Use Disorder in Detroit

  This study tests whether a smartphone-based digital recovery program helps Black or African American adults in Detroit maintain their recovery from alcohol use disorder.

  Recruiting Brandeis University · Detroit, Michigan · NCT07724275

• Path180: a computer-based skills program to help teens reduce alcohol use

  This 8-week trial tests Path180, a computer-based skills training, added to usual care for teens 13–19 with alcohol use disorder to see if it improves daily-life coping skills and outcomes.

  Recruiting Brown University · Providence, Rhode Island · NCT07713251

• Effects of comorbidity on people with severe mental illness

  This study tests how having both alcohol/substance use and a severe mental illness affects hospitalizations, medications, and social participation among adults followed at a mental health center.

  Recruiting Abant Izzet Baysal University · Bolu, Bolu · NCT07692984

• Psilocybin in Alcohol Use Disorder with Depression (Relapse Prevention)

  This study tests whether higher-dose psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy helps prevent relapse in adults with severe alcohol use disorder and depressive symptoms after detox.

  Recruiting Phase 3 Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes · Bayonne and 7 other locations · NCT07638553

How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.